Device for displacing railway tracks



Aug. 29, 1967 E. E. OVILLE DEVICE FOR DISPLACING RAILWAY TRACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 17, 1964 Aug. 29, 1967 E. E; OVILLE DEVICE FOR DISPLACING RAILWAY TRACKS Filed March 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Office 3,338,174 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 3 338,174 DEVICE FOR DISPLACING RAILWAY TRAQKS Eugene E. Oville, Lausanne, Switzerland, assignor to Matisa Materiel Industriel S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland, a joint-stock company of Switzerland Filed Mar. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 352,568 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Mar. 18, 1963, 3,388/63 12 Claims. (Cl. 104-8) This invention relates to devices for manipulating railway tracks.

It is known that on railway line work-site, it is frequently necessary to displace transversely a railway track which has already been laid. This is generally accomplished by moving successive sections, either vertically by means of a hoisting or levelling device, or by means of a shifting device. Hoisting-shifting devices of various types are also known which, to obtain combined effect, have recourse to fairly complicated mechanisms without, however, obtaining sufficiently well controlled movements.

The present invention has for an object the provision of an improved device for displacing a section of a railway track in its transverse plane and/or maintaining it there in fixed position, this device being characterized in that it comprises a tool-carrying frame adapted to cooperate with the track, two uprights, a connecting bar between these uprights, these four elements being hinged one to the other to form, through their points of articulation, a deformable quadrilateral, at least one shifting jack connecting two of the four cited elements and disposed to act obliquely on these four elements, in order to deform this quadrilateral, a supporting member for each upright and on which the upright is adapted to slide and, for each upright, a hoisting jack to make these two elements slide one with respect to the other.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, three embodiments according to the invention. They are shown diagrammatically and not in exact proportions to facilitate understanding.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a front view of each of these three examples, in section transverse to the track, the same reference numbers indicating the elements which are placed symmetrically relative to the axis of the track;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a hydraulic circuit usable for the three embodiments; and

FIG. 5 is a detail view relative to a modification of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 are two rails 1 connected by a sleeper 2 resting on the ballast 3.

A frame 4 and a connecting bar 5, both in the shape of horizontal girders, are hinged through their ends 6, 7 to two uprights 8 which are each provided with two guides 9 and 10 of rectangular section in each of which may slide, but not pivot, a supporting member 11.

Along each of the uprights 8 is provided a hydraulic or hoisting jack which is constituted by a cylinder 12, pivoted to uprights 8 by pin 13, and in which may slide a piston 14 with a rod 15 pivoted on a base 16 integral with supporting member 11. Thus the jack is free of any strain through its axis. The bases 16 bear on the part of the ballast located between two sleepers but are beyond the same.

A third jack, a so-called shifting jack, of the same kind as the preceding one is constituted by a cylinder 17 in which may slide a piston 18 with a rod 19. This jack is hinged on the one hand by pin 20 to the frame 4 and on the other hand by pin 21 to the bar 5.

The frame 4 supports a track gripper, with automatic centering relative to the axis of the track and which includes two hooks 22 pivoted by pins 23 on frame 4 and provided with noses 24 acting in opposite directions which may engage under the heads of the corresponding rails 1. The automatic centering of the track relative to frame 4 is obtained by the bar 25, a so-called synchronism bar, which connects the two hooks 22 by the pivots 26 and 27 placed at a substantially equal distance from the two pivots 23, but located above and below one another. There is also provided a fourth jack, a so-called gripper jack, of the same type as the preceding ones, horizontal and pivoting on pins 28 on each of the hooks 22. In its cylinder 29 may slide a piston 30 with a rod 31.

The operation of this device is as follows:

In the position shown, the device is supposed to support the track in a horizontal position. The hooks 24 are in contact with each of the rails under the action of the gripper jack immobilized by the oil which is contained therein. For simplicity of description, the operation of this jack will be explained in fuller detail hereinafter with the hydraulic diagram of FIG. 4. FIG. 1 clearly shows that the track is thus fixed to the frame 4.

Moreover, frame 4 and bar 5 are horizontal and the two uprights 8 are vertical so that the four hinges 6 and 7 are at the corners of a rectangle. This shape is maintained due to the immobilization of the shifting jack in the desired position.

The rigid frame thus obtained is supported by the two hoisting jacks 12, blocked in the correct position. The members 11, which through bases 16 bear on ballast 3, prevent through guides 9 and 10 any lateral tilting of the device.

If new one of the supports sinks under the influence of the weight lifted, it is obvious that it suffices to elongate the jack at the sunk side until the horizontal level is restored.

It is also obvious that the track may be inclined transversely by any desired amount, in one direction or the other, by correctly modifying the length of each hoisting jack.

If now one wishes to shift the track, for example to the left in the drawing, one lengthens the shifting jack, which visibly deforms the rectangle into a parallelogram the uprights of which pivoting on their base determine the required shifting. When it is necessary to lift a track in a curve, it is advantageous to place, before hoisting, the uprights in the vertical position, thus guiding the hoisting in that directionand not perpendicularly to the plane of the track-and this avoids incorrect shifting. From this position, one may obviously produce a desired shifting by deformation of the parallelogram.

The device may also be employed for shifting alone. It is then highly desirable not to lift the track because it is then nearly impossible to lower it again in view of the stones which slip under the sleepers. To this end, the bases 16 may be provided with cramps or be replaced by pickaxes which may due to the hoisting jacks be sunk into the ballast without causing the raising of the track. These tools therefore serve as anchoring for 3 the shifting and it will be noted that, being more or less at the level of the sleepers where exists the resistance to be overcome, they permit, in the most satisfactory manner, the avoiding of the tilting of the track, and thus of rendering its transverse levelling untrue.

To free the track, one first of all shortens the hoisting jacks, which causes the frame 4 to rest on a truck of which one only sees portions 46 which constitute two support abutments for frame 4.

One shortens at the same time the gripper jack 29, which, due to the pivoting about 23, causes the hooks 22 to rise in a symmetrical movement due to rod 25. In the raised position bases 16 and noses 24 have adopted the desired gauge for the displacement of the vehicle. The setting into operation of the device is effected by a reverse process.

After any displacement, the track may be propped, for example with ballast, or laid on the ground following the desired lay out, etc. according to the well known techniques of using hoisting-propping devices, hoistingshifting devices, etc.

In FIG. 2, there is reproduced with the same references a part of the elements shown in FIG. 1. In this simplified variant, it is the two cylinders 12 which directly form the aforementioned uprights 8 so that the aforesaid sliding members 11 are here constituted by the pistons 14 with their rods 15 on bases 16. Further, the shifting jack has its hinge 21 connected to one of the hinges 7 of the parallelogram. The operation of the whole is identical to that of the preceding embodiment. It must be emphasized that the rods 15 must be sufficiently strong to be able to absorb the bending stresses which they have to support.

It is very advantageous in this connection to provide the variant shown in FIG. 5, which consists in extending the frame 4 (and also the bar until the four hinges 6 and 7 are at A (or B) in the drawing, that is to say that they intersect the axis of the two hoisting jacks. This eliminates at rod the greater part of the bending due to the hoisting effort, the remainder of which may arise from the excentricity of the support reaction of the ballast on bases 16. But above all, this maintains the same transverse inclination of the track during shifting. It is emphasized that in order to realize this double advantage it is sufficient that the frame 4 be extended, the bar 5 being either shorter as in the last example described, or longer. It is easily understood that during shifting the two uprights do not remain parallel one to the other and that consequently the distance between the two supports 16 on the ballast varies slightly, which is sometimes an advantage. An arrangement presenting a certain analogy is shown in the example which follows.

FIG. 3 shows also with the same references a part of the elements of FIG. 1. The aforesaid bar 5 is here a girder disposed on the front of a vehicle which serves as a support for the device. The two hoisting jacks serve as extensible uprights and are set up as traction jacks so that their cylinder 12 is hinged on pins 7 on bar 5 so that their rod 15 is pivoted at pins 6 on frame 4. As a result the roles of the large chamber and of the annular chamber are exchanged. The shifting jack is hinged through its cylinder on bar 5 and through its rod on frame 4. Its operation, so that of the gripper jack, is unchanged. It is noted that these three jacks are free of any parasite bending stress.

It is in particular noted that the four hinges 6 and 7 are located in the drawing at the angles of a symmetrical trapezium with bases parallel to the plane of the track, and it is quite obvious that one may still displace at will the section of track along its plane by suitably actuating the jacks. The two parallel sides of the trapezium are of constant length while the oblique sides are of variable length according to the amount of extension of the hoisting jacks.

In FIG. 4 one has shown with their references the four jacks which form part of the hydraulic circuit. The said jacks are fed from a common supply of oil under pressure, which comprises a tank 32 in which a pump 33 sucks up oil through the duct 34 and discharges it into the duct 35 under a pressure limited by the safety valve 36 which sends back the excess oil through the duct 37 into the tank 32.

Duct 35 feeds four identical distributors 38 from which the oil may escape by the collector duct 39 which returns it to tank 32.

Each of these distributors 38 is connected on the one hand by a duct 40 to the large chamber 41 and on the other hand by a duct 42 to the annular chamber 43, provided between the cylinder and piston of each of the similar four jacks. The arrangement of the jack-distributors being identical for the four groups, it is sufiicient to describe the operation of one of them.

In the position shown, each jack is blocked by the oil which it contains and which cannot escape from chambers 41 and 43 by any of the ducts 40 and 42 themselves obviously cut off from any communication by the slide 44. All the flow discharged by the pump flows through ducts 36 and 37 into tank 32. If one of the slides 44 is pivoted through one eighth of a revolution in a counter-clockwise direction, communication is established between ducts 35 and 40 and between ducts 42 and 39 so that chamber 41 is under pressure and chamber 43 is under discharge. The jack thusly controlled lengthen-s until its movement is stopped by returning the slide 44 to its original position.

It is obvious that the pivoting of 44 through one eighth of a revolution in the direction contrary to the preceding one brings about a shortening of the controlled jack.

Each of the slides 44 is integral with a control handle 45 which is placed to provide an available control for the operator who wishes to actuate one or the other of the jacks. As a matter of fact, in order to lift the track on one side or the other the operator lifts the corresponding handle; and inversely, in order to shift to the left for example, he moves the desired handle in the same direction; and vice-versa. He stops each movement by bringing it back to the intermediate position. In order to lower the hooks of the gripper, he lowers the handle which controls it; and oppositely to raise the hooks.

The extreme positions of the handles, and therefore of the slides, are shown in dot and dash lines in the drawing.

In the case of FIG. 3 and to obtain an obvious control, it is sufficient for example to fix the mean position of 45 at from the location indicated on the drawing for the two hoisting jacks, the handles of the gripper and shifting jacks remaining in the same place.

It is obvious that within the scope of the invention the new arrangement lends itself to various other modifications, particularly the employing of automatic control servo-motors, the employing of other fluid, air for example, individual pumps, etc.

What I claim is:

1. A device for displacing a section of railway track comprising a tool-carrying frame means adapted to cooperate with the track, two upright means, a connecting bar means between said upright means, pivot means connecting said frame and upright and bar means to form a deformable quadrilateral, and at least one shifting jack connecting two of said frame and upright and bar means and disposed to act obliquely. on the thusly connected means to deform said quadrilateral, each said upright means including a supporting member and a hoisting jack for the raising and lowering of the upright means.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said pivot means are arranged such that said quadrilateral is a parallelogram.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said pivot means are arranged such that the four sides of said quadrilateral have a constant length.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said pivot means are arranged such that two sides of said quadrilateral are formed by the frame means and the connecting bar means and are of constant length, the other two sides being of variable length.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the sides of variable length are formed by the hoisting jacks.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of the upright means is constituted by the cylinder of its hoisting jack of which the piston-rod constitutes the corresponding supporting member.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting bar means constitutes a support on which bear the hoisting jacks.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting members are adapted to rest on the ballast of the track and bear on the same.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting members are adapted to bear against the frame of a railway vehicle.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein each hoisting jack includes a cylinder-piston and rod combination, said cylinder including a hinge near the connection of the rod and the piston, the axis of said hinge intersecting the axis of the cylinder.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the hoisting jacks include cylinders and the connecting bar means is hinged on the cylinders of the hoisting jacks towards the middle of the length of said cylinders.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the jacks are disposed in a common pressure-fluid circuit.

No references cited.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR DISPLACING A SECTION OF RAILWAY TRACK COMPRISING A TOOL-CARRYING FRAME MEANS ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH THE TRACK, TWO UPRIGHT MEANS, A CONNECTING BAR MEANS BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHT MEANS, PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID FRAME AND UPRIGHT AND BAR MEANS TO FORM A DEFORMABLE QUADRILATERAL, AND AT LEAST ONE SHIFTING JACK CONNECTING TWO OF SAID FRAME AND UPRIGHT AND BAR MEANS AND DISPOSED TO ACT OBLIQUELY ON THE THUSLY CONNECTED MEANS TO DEFORM SAID QUADRILATERAL, EACH SAID UPRIGHT MEANS INCLUDING A SUPPORTING MEMBER AND A HOISTING JACK FOR THE RAISING AND LOWERING OF THE UPRIGHT MEANS. 